Cable bender



Aug. 30, 1927. 1,640,426

V. B. PIKE CABLE BENDER Filed Aug. 24, 1923 IN VEN TOR Patented Aug. 30, 1927.

UNITED STATES VERNON PIKE, OF CHELTENHAM, PENNSYLVANIA.

CABLE IBENDER.

Application filed Angus t 24, 1923. Serial No. 658,195.

This invention relates to cable benders, and more particularly to lever cable benders designed for use in restrictedspaces. v

In the cable benders of this type used heretofore the following disadvantages are found: (1) the cable gripping members dent the cable sheath; (2) the cable gripping members frequently slip along the cable, especially when they are widely separated,

as is the case in making bends of large radii (3) the shapes of the tools render it inconvenient to use them 1n restricted spaces.

The ob ect of apphcants invention is to provlde a cable bender which is free from the above mentioned disadvantages.

The lnvention is embodied 1n a cable bending device comprising cable gripping shoes carried upon arms of different lengths, a yoke holding the arms 1H fixed co-relation,

and a lever handle adjustable as to length and designed to pivot about the middle of the yoke as a center and to be readily secured in any one of mumm of positions.

The following detailed description covers the preferred form of cable bender embodying applicants invention. This description is to be read with reference to the accompanying drawing. Figure l of the drawing shows a top plan View of the tool, with a part of the handle shown in section; Fig. 2, aside elevation of the tool, with a part of the handle shown insect-ion; Fig. 3, a side elevation of the pivotal end of the outer member of the handle; Fig. 1, a side elevation of one member of the'handle adjusting mechanism, and F ig. 5, a side elevation of another member of the handle adjusting mechanism. Like numerals of reference in the several figures of the drawing designate corresponding parts, of the tool.

l/Vit-h reference to the details of the drawing, the cable gripping shoes 1 and 2 are carried on arms 3 and 1, respectively, arm 3 being of greater length than arm 4. The shoes are pivotally attached to their respective arms so as to permit of lateral swinging of the shoes. Thus the shoes adjust themselves to fit the cable. The arms 3 and 4; are joined in fixed co-relation by the yoke 5; This yoke carries a notched are 6.

The lever handle comprises the outer hollow cylinder 7 and the hollow cylinder 8 of smaller diameter designed to slide within the cylinder 7. The top of the wall of the cylinder 7 carriesa plurality of holes, represented by the holes 9 and 10. WVithin the cylinder 8 at the end lying nearer the shoes is a strip spring 11' carrying upon'its free end an outwardly projecting button 12, and an opening in the wall of the cylinder 8 permits the button to protrude when the. spring 1s in its normal position. Before the handle is extended, the opening 9-in the outer cylinder lies opposite this o -ening in the inner cylinder wall, and the 'utton 12 projects through both openings, fixing, the two cylinders of the handle in the unextended position. Whenit is desired to. extend the handle, thebutton 12 is pushed in, the cylinder 8 'i's'moved so as to bring the button 12opposite another opening in the cylinder 7, opening 10, for example, and the "spring is then released, allowing the button 12 to engage withthe opening 10 of the outer cylinder and thus to secure the two cylinders of the handle in an extended position.

The handle member 7 is forked at the end nearer the shoes (see Figs. 2 and 3). The two prongs of the fork embrace the yoke 5 and the notched arc 6, and the screw 15 attaches the member 7to theyoke 5, 'ass'in through the openings 13 and 14 of t e fork pron s, and forms a pivot for the member W ithin the cylinder 7 is a cylindrical member 16, of diameter considerably smaller than" the interior of the hollow cylinder 7. This member 16 carries'an extension 17'of diameter equal to the interior of the cylinder 7. This portion 17 carries inrturn a forwardly projectingtooth 18 designed to fit into one of the notches of the are 6. The hollowcylinder 19, lying within the hollow cylinder 7 of the handle and surrounding the member'16, serves to prevent dislocation of the body1617.18, hereinafter referred to as the single toothed member. Within the member 19 and bearing on the rear of the single toothed member is a spiral spring 20. The sleeve21 surrounds this portion of the outer handle" cylinder 7. The rivet 22 fixes the sleeve 21 to the single toothed memher and the member 19, passing through the forward end of the slot 24in the member 7 (see Figs. 1, 2 and 3). A'second rivet, 23,

having itsheads. flush with the outer surfaces of the cylinder 7, forms a backstop for the spiral spring 20 and passes through the rear end of slot 25 in the member 19 (see Figs. 1 and 5). When the sleeve 21 is drawn back (that is, to the right with ref erence to the drawing), the single toothed member is drawn back with it, disengaging returning the tooth 18 into engagement the tooth 18 from the notched are 6, and the spring 20 is compressed. The rivet 22 slides in the slot 24, of member 7, and the slot 25 of the member 19 permits this member to slide past the rivet 23. With the tooth 18 disengaged from the notched are 6, the handle may be' pivoted to any desired position. The sleeve 21 is then allowed to slip forward again, releasing the spring 20 and with another notch of the are 6.

The following advantages of applicants tool over cable benders of this class used here tofore are to be noted: (1) the cable gripping shoes are so formed and so mounted that they adjust themselves to the cable and do not dent it; (2) the distance between the idjustable as to shoes is fixed, and thus slipping of the shoes along the cable during the bending operation is avoided; (3) the handle adjusting means permit the handle to be placed in any one of a plurality of positions suitable for convenient use of the toolin restricted spaces.

' It is understood that the above entitled description of the preferred form of applicants cable bender is submitted for purposes of illustration and does not limit the scope of the invention, which is determined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A cable bender comprising a plurality of arms of dilferent lengths, a cable gripping shoe on each oi said arms, a yoke joining said arms in fixed co-relation, a lever handle length and pivotally attached to the middle portion of said yoke, and means for securing said handle with respect to the axis 01 said yoke at any one of a plurality of angles within an arc of approximately 2. A cable bender comprising a plurality ofarms of difierent lengths, a cable gripping snoe pivotally attached to each of said rms so as to allowlateral swing of said shoe, a yoke joining said arms in fixed corelation, a lever handle adjustable as to length and pivotally attached to said yoke, and means for securing said handle with respect to the axis of said yoke at any one of a plurality of angles'within an arc of approximately 180".

3. A cable bender comprising two arms of different lengths; a cable gripping shoe on each of said arms a yoke joining said arms in fixed relation to each other; a lever handle adjustable as to length, said handle comprising an outer tube pivotally attached'to said yoke, a second'tube of smaller size designed to slide within said outer tube, and means for securing said second tube to said outer tube in any one of a plurality of extended positions; and means for securing said outer tube with respect to the axis of said yoke at any one of a plurality of angles within an arc of approximately 180.

4. A cable bender comprising two arms of different lengths; a cable gripping shoe on each of said arms; a yoke joining said arms in fixed relation to each other; a lever handle adjustable as to length, said handle comprising an outer tube pivotally attached to said yoke, a second tube or" smaller size designed to slide within said outer tube and having in its wall a single opening, a strip spring mounted within said second tube, and abutton on the free end of said strip spring designed to project through the opening in the Wall of said second tube, said outer tube having in its Wall a plurality of aligned openings to receive said button in dififerent extended positions of said second tube; and means for securing said outer tube With respect to the axis of said yoke at any one of a plurality of angles Within an arcof ap proximately 180.

' 5. A cable bender comprising two arms of difierent lengths, a cable gripping shoe on each of said arms, a yoke joining said arms in fixed relation to each other, a lever handle adjustable as to length and pivotally at. tached to said yoke, a notched arc fixed to said yoke and having its center located onthe pivotal axis of said handle, a single-toothed member within said handle designed to en'- gage with the notch-es of the arc, means for sliding said single-toothed member out of engagement with said notched arc, and means for automatically returning said singletoothed member into engagement with said notched are upon the release of said sliding means.

6. A cabl bender comprising two arms of diiierent lengths, a cable gripping shoe on each of said arms, a yoke joining said arms in fixed relation to each other, a lever handle adjustable as tolength and pivotally attached to said yoke and having in its Wall a longitudinal slot, a notched arc fixed to said yoke and having its center located on the pivotal axis of said handle, a smgle-toothed member within said handle designed to engagewith the notches of the arc, a sleeve surrounding said handle and riveted to said single-toothed member, the slot in the wall of said handle permitting said sleeve and the attached single-toot-hed member tobe drawn away from sald notched arc, and a spiral sprlng within said handle bearmg against the rear end of said single-toothed member for automatically as to length and pivotally attached Within said handle having an enlarged portion designed to fit close to the interior Wall of the handle and a single-t00thed portion designed to engage with the notches of the arc, a sleeve surrounding said handle and riveted to said engaging member, the slot in the Wall of said handle permitting Said sleeve and the attached engaging member to be drawn away from said notched are, and a spiral spring Within said handle bearing against the rear end of said engaging member for automatically returning the single-' toothed portion of the latter into engagement with the notched are upon releaseof said sleeve. a

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 23rd day of August, 1923.

VERNON B. PI E. 

